This invention relates to pivoting metal connection hardware for rigidly joining wood or metal structural framing members but with framing members being pivotable allowing selective displacement of framing members to variable positions.
The general concept of pivoting hardware is known in the art in the form of door hardware, revolving doors, rotating door structures, rotatable structures, revolving wall systems and panels, revolving modules and packages, furniture systems, hinge assemblies, and hinged joints for structural frame systems. In addition, rigid connection hardware is known in the art in the form of rigid intersection connectors.
Concepts of pivoting hardware are frequently depicted in large complicated systems that are very expensive, are not premanufactured, nor readily available to the public for purchase, and require a high level of knowledge and ability of a person skilled in the art to install these systems.
A variety of pivoting hardware is presented in the prior art:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,564,485 to Kurstin discloses a revolving door and cabinet with a swivel ball-bearing structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,712,974 to Renna discloses a multiple-purpose door structure with upper and lower seated bearing members.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,823,425 to Granek discloses rotatable sections for buildings with a central pipe and recessed bearing race.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,293,632 to Blume discloses a reversible wall panel with a vertical hollow shaft with upper and lower thrust and guide bearings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,053 to Taggart discloses a swivel-sectioned building wall with a vertical central post with upper and lower thrust bearings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,400 to Helgeson discloses a revolving kitchen package with nested concentric rings allowing for frictionally rotational movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,900 to Kelman discloses a vertical central core with rotating ring members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,894 to Jerila discloses hardware for panel doors with upper and lower spring-loaded pivots in pivot brackets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,685 to Gilb discloses a rigid connector for readily constructing framed structures with rigid intersection connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,695 to Bales discloses a pivot bearing for wood frame wall bed systems with a horizontal pivot bearing system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,044 to Gilb discloses a rigid connector for readily constructing framed structures with rigid intersection connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,961 to Olden discloses a hinge and hinge joint for hingedly connecting structural frame members of wooden roof trusses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,580 to Leek discloses a positive angle fastening device for constructing framed structures with rigid connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,422 to Olden discloses a hinge and hinge joint for structural members for the interconnection of disconnected truss members.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,287 to Wilke discloses a slide/swing patio door with pivot hardware.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,887 to Daudet discloses a hinge assembly for a truss with pivot hardware.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,556 to Cates discloses a frameless door assembly for cleanrooms with stud connection hardware.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,562 to Horn discloses an extendible hinge with pivot hardware for door assemblies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,996,940 B2 to Beasley discloses a movable wall module with a broad area bearing assembly.
International Pat. No. WO 2007/012196 A1 to Vermeulen discloses a mounted rotatable television unit with a pre-manufactured pivoting frame system with a vertical post and sleeves.
Although the prior art pivot hardware rotates doors, panels, systems, modules, and structures, none of the prior art pivot hardware allows a simple and practical way of connecting conventional wood or metal structural framing members to allow pivotable selective displacement of desired framing members to variable positions.
The prior art pivot hardware fails to allow flexibility for the hardware to be used by a person skilled in the art of structural framing to incorporate spinning or rotating framing members in a variety of applications due to the inflexibility of the prior art to be used in such a manner other than specifically taught.
The present invention is directed to an improved, practical and flexible spin hardware designed for mass production for simple and cost-efficient incorporation into residential or commercial structural framing systems.
The improved spin hardware supports functional uses of rotating structural framing and has a construction compatible with heavy dead and live design loads required in modern building construction and by building codes.
The simple design of the improved spin hardware supports a use by “do-it-yourself” handyman/homeowners and not just persons skilled in the art of building construction, specifically structural framing. The use of any of the pivot hardware prior art by a “do-it-yourself” handyman/homeowner in a manner for the intended use of the improved spin hardware would be non-obvious.
The improved spin hardware is intended to be readily available and sold to the public as “off-the-shelf” hardware, similar to door hinges and other standard building hardware, at local hardware stores.